Latest news & insights

The government has announced they will be providing schools with additional funding of almost £1.2 billion in the financial year 2024/25 to support with overall costs. The funding has been calculated at national level to fund the 2024/25 teacher pay award and the support staff pay offer, which is still under negotiation. Almost £1.1 billion of the funding will be administered through the Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG).

Schools' Choice recently attended the Secretary of State for Education live event July 16 2024. We have listened to Bridget Phillipson, the new Secretary of State for Education, to hear what her priorities are as she starts in her role.

ESFA has announced that the decision on the 2024 to 2025 academic year universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) funding rate has been delayed due to the pre-election period. New policies or funding rates cannot be announced in this period.

The Department for Education has published its draft, Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024.  Whilst there are no substantive changes to the document, amendments include revised definitions of safeguarding and early help. These are consistent with the definitions in the revised Working Together to Safeguarding Children.

On 16 May the National Employers made full and final pay offers to the Staff Sides of the four negotiating groups for which they have responsibility (Local Government Services (Green Book), Craft Workers (Red Book), Chief Officers and Chief Executives.

On 28^th March 2024, the Government launched a safeguarding call for evidence, seeking views on child safeguarding practice in schools and colleges to inform the Department for Education’s safeguarding in schools and colleges policy and future editions of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

On 8th March 2024, the Ofsted launched their Big Listen. This consultation seeks the views of all areas of their work, from schools and children’s social care to teacher training and early years. 

As previously confirmed, the employer contribution rates of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) will increase by 5 percentage points, from 23.68% to 28.68% from April 2024. 

On 7^th March 2024, the DfE released two new non-statutory Governance Guides, one for maintained schools and one for Academy Trusts, replacing the previous Governance handbook that was withdrawn. These new guides will now serve as the primary DfE source of governance information.